Golden-backed tree-rat

Mesembriomys macrurus

Blamed on cats

IUCN status: Near Threatened

EPBC Predator Threat Rating: Moderate

IUCN claim: “Another threat is predation by feral cats (moderate, mainland part of range), which has not been demonstrated, but is highly plausible on the mainland; however, this is somewhat ameliorated by the rugged nature of habitat, which offers some protection from cats, and by partially arboreal behaviour.”

Studies in support

No studies

Studies not in support

No studies

Is the threat claim evidence-based?

There are no studies linking cats to golden-backed tree-rats.

Evidence linking Mesembriomys macrurus to cats. Systematic review of evidence for an association between Mesembriomys macrurus and cats. Positive studies are in support of the hypothesis that cats contribute to the decline of Mesembriomys macrurus, negative studies are not in support. Predation studies include studies documenting hunting or scavenging; baiting studies are associations between poison baiting and threatened mammal abundance where information on predator abundance is not provided; population studies are associations between threatened mammal and predator abundance.

References

Current submission (2023) Scant evidence that introduced predators cause extinctions. Conservation Biology

EPBC. (2015) Threat Abatement Plan for Predation by Feral Cats. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, Department of Environment, Government of Australia. (Table A1).

IUCN Red List. https://www.iucnredlist.org/ Accessed June 2023